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Tuesday, 28 July 2015

Sorry for the late post but I was waiting to feature this special post that I've wanted to do for some time now, the Lush Oxford Street Haul!

Now firstly, the store - wow! It's on the ever so popular Oxford Street in London and has three levels (yes, three!!). Each is beautifully decorated and stocked with wonderful Lush goodies and to top it off the Lush Spa is also in this store! I was sold, and honestly whenever I'm in London now this is where I will be going for my bath goodies!

Anyhoo, so what did I get? Well to warn you I did purchase over 2kg worth of products so this post may be a long one but...

The Comforter Shower Gel (Oxford Street exclusive)
This was a given for me as I love the Comforter Bubble Bar. It's a sweet, candy like scent and has a slight shimmer in the gel too. I'm really looking forward to trying this one!

Supertramp Bubble Bar (Oxford Street exclusive)
This was a different one for me to choose as it has a woody scent, so not something I would typically pick. I thought I would venture out of my comfort zone and see if I can find a new love for more than citrus and sweet scents, watch this space!

Big Bang Bubble Bar (Oxford Street exclusive)
This is another woody scent bubble bar but with a deeper colour. I would say this scent is a little milder too so if you want something that bubbles up your bath but isn't too strong smelling this is a good one to try.

Intergalactic Bath Bomb (Oxford Street exclusive)
I have fallen in love with this bath bomb and I wish I bought more than just the one! If the name wasn't cute enough, it's also filled with popping candy and gives a magical display of colours when used in your bath. This would be a fab one for kids and big kids like me!

Bubblegum Lip Scrub
This is my second pot of this scrub and I love it! It's a little scrub you put on your lips to take away any flakes; leaving your lips lovely and soft, prepped and ready for lipstick! I love the scent and taste of this stuff (yes, you read that right), it's just so sweet and yummy!

Frozen Bath Bomb (Oxford Street exclusive)
I bought two of these as they just looked so lovely! They make your bath water turn into this shimmery blue colour and it just smells so calming. It's a milder scent and I would say it smells like a mild citrus and refreshing scent, hard to describe. I'm really looking forward to trying this out!

The Experimenter Bath Bomb (Oxford Street exclusive)
This one looked too fun to miss. It's a mixed colour bath bomb in a funky shape too - possibly the future of bath bombs? Ha! I'm looking forward to seeing what display this little treat will give me when I use it!

Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb
This bath bomb is soon becoming a favourite of mine (I have 3 already!). It has a gorgeous citrus scent to it and has cute little colours running inside it but is white all over - so very understated. This one makes my bath smell like refresher sweets, just so bright and refreshing, yet yummy too!

Twilight Bath Bomb
This is a constant purchase for me as it's my favourite ever bath bomb from Lush. It leaves your bath with a gorgeous purple/pink colour and smells of lavender. It's just perfect for a relaxing bath after a long day.

Monsieur Gustave Bath Melt (Oxford Street exclusive - I think?)
Honestly I picked
this one up because of the colour; bright purple with shimmer! I'm
looking forward to seeing how this looks in my bath!

Happy Thoughts Bath Melt (Oxford Street exclusive - I think?)
This little oil smells of oranges and just looks like fun to try. It's covered in a sugary like texture which may work as a gentle scrub when in your bath. I'm looking forward to seeing how this works in my bath!

Mmmelting Marshmallow Bath Melt (Oxford Street exclusive - I think?)
This has the same scent as before but has been reformed into a smaller, budget friendly version. This time with added shimmer too! If you like all things sweet, than this is a good one to go with!

Furze Bath Melt (Oxford Street exclusive - I think?)
This little one isn't pictured above as it got crushed in my bag (2kg worth of products will probably do it). It's a gorgeous little floral smelling oil and has a cute little purple flower inside too. Imagine lying in a field of flowers in the Summertime, well this is that scent! Lovely!

Have you visited the Oxford Street store, is there anything you would suggest I should try?

Saturday, 18 July 2015

This week I thought I would give you my thoughts on a new product I've been trying out; the Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm.

Now honestly I hadn't heard a lot about this product before and I only tried this as my husband bought me a copy of Marie Claire and it had a sample included of this balm.

I wasn't sure how I would get on with it as it claimed to provide a lot. It's basically a light moisturiser that also claims it can also be used as a primer for under your makeup and to help shrink the appearance of pores. Also it claims to help smooth the skin and all while providing a nice and healthy 'glow' (phew!).

So how did I get on? Well.. I have oily/combination skin so a light moisturiser is great for me and in the past I've had trouble finding one that works well with my skin. This however is a godsend! After using it for a few days I actually noticed a nice glow from my skin (I actually caught my reflection and it made me gasp with delight). This stuff does give you a nice glow, I don't know how but my oh my I'm addicted!

It also keeps my skin hydrated all day and it really does help shrink the appearance of my pores! I never thought I would say that but it really does! It gives me a great smooth complexion which is perfect for then putting my makeup on too (nice primer as it also claims!). I have also noticed that any redness seems to be reduced too - added bonus!

I love the scent of the product too. It's a nice clean scent but it somehow reminds me of being on holiday - perhaps like an aftersun sort of smell - calming and balancing.

All in all I'm sold and have now bought a full size version of this stuff as I won't be using anything else. It's just a holy grail product for me now!

Thursday, 9 July 2015

These were featured in my Summertime Haul blog and well if I'm honest I did buy them mainly because of the stunning packaging. Fear not though... I did do my usual amount of research and these were some popular lipsticks to say the least! They were voted by many bloggers as the most beautiful lipstick available so I was super excited to try these out.

The first; Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick in Pink in Paris was one of my absolute favourites as soon as I saw it (pictured above).

The finish of this lipstick is glossy and oh my is this lipstick gorgeous! It's highly pigmented too so only one layer on your lips and it has a full colour, however you can also build it up if you want your colour to have more 'pop'.

The second I bought was; Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Lipstick in Peach Passion (pictured to the left).

This has a more sheer finish to it so lasts a touch longer on the lips. The colour a chose was a gorgeous deep coral colour. This colour is just perfect for Spring and Summer and I think it would suit just about everybody!Obviously you can see that both lipsticks have the stunning YSL logo on them and a gorgeous gold surround.Now at £26 these are pricey, but as a little goes a long way with these they do last a long time! Also they're a great treat to yourself or a little pick me up.

Honestly I would get these again but yes, it would have to be a treat. I was lucky enough to have one of these as a gift, but if you're feeling like getting yourself a nice new lipstick that will last and look gorgeous in your handbag - than look no further! :)Jess xox

Monday, 6 July 2015

I'm one of those people that once I get an idea I need to follow it through... Probably something to do with OCD but hey ho.

This month I decided to set myself the task of finding the 'right balance' from
my foundation. Now I'm in a funny old place with my current foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum)
after my husband said it would get really shiny at the end of the day,
less dewy and more oily than it previously did. Now I think this is
because my skin in the Summer naturally gets a little more oily and so
dewy foundations won't give me the finish I'm happy with anymore. Thus
my search for a new foundation.

So I trialled... a load of different foundations to try and figure out what is best for my oily skin and what would pass my little 'tests'.

First of all, what I was looking for out of my foundation:
- Something easy to apply, quick and painless. I don't have time to buff for 15 minutes anymore.
- Something that matched my skin tone
- Something preferably budget friendlyMaybelline Superstay Better Skin
£8.99
Pros: Budget friendly.
Cons: Sticks to imperfections and dry patches.
Summary: I wouldn't buy this again as it just doesn't sit on my skin very well.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation
£8.99
Pros: Budget friendly. Gorgeous finish.
Cons: Not enough shade range.
Summary: I love the gel formula of this and although the colour doesn't quite match me I find myself buying this over and over. A great budget friendly foundation!

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
£31.00
Pros: Great shade range. Gorgeous finish.
Cons: Expensive. No pump.
Summary: The finish of this is beautiful. As quoted by many other Sheer Glow fans, 'It's my skin, but better'... It really is! It's a medium coverage but with a super light feel - I love it. I feel as if my skin can breathe and look natural, yet this magical foundation covers all my redness and imperfections.

Loreal Infallible 24H Stay Fresh Foundation
£9.99
Pros: Budget friendly.
Cons: Not enough shade range.
Summary: The finish of this is quite nice but I wouldn't say it competes with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. Also the shade range isn't great meaning that this takes a LOT of blending to look match my skin tone. I think for the really fair skin types though this one may be great as the lightest shade is super light! I think I may try it again in the Winter when my (very slight) tan has faded.Mac Pro Long Wear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation
£25.50
Pros: Waterproof. Great shade range.
Cons: Expensive.
Summary: This one is great but very thick so use only a tiny amount! I wouldn't want to use this on a daily basis because of the price and how much blending is required (once it's dry, it's dry and there is no budging!). But for Summer, holidays and the beach - this would be fantastic!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
£29.50
Pros: Great shade range. SPF 10 included.
Cons: Expensive. No pump and heavy glass bottle.
Summary: This is very similar to the one above by Mac in that it needs a lot of blending as it dries and then doesn't move! It doesn't claim to be waterproof however I imagine it would stay put pretty well as well. I think I prefer the finish of this one slightly more over the Mac Pro Long Wear but again the blending is just too much work on a daily basis for me. I would use this one for either holidays, special occasions or big nights out as I'm sure it would stay put really well.

Honestly after trying all these I still seem to be going back to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. I just love how easy it is to apply and how long lasting it is, with a nice medium coverage. My only issue with this foundation is that the shade is a little too dark for me (even the palest shade). If I have a heavy day I can get shiny but that's where I would just have to touch it up with some blotting paper or powder. For a big day out I would switch to the Nars Sheer Glow as this foundation is just beautiful but it does require a little more blending than the Bourjois foundation.

So really I guess to find a 'perfect' foundation my search is still ongoing. How did you guys get on with these? Do you have any suggestions for me to try?

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

This week I thought I would share with you my most favoured app's now I'm a Mom. Now these are the one's that I use now I'm a Mom so they're fairly new and I haven't bothered including a list of all my apps, just those a little more Mommy related.

Sound Sleeper - This is by far a life saver for us! My husband discovered this app when our little one was a newborn and was a little unsettled. If you download the free version you get 30 minutes of free play to see what/if the sounds work on your little one. Even now this comes in handy!

Annabel - This is a baby food and weaning guide in one. I love this as it tells me on the go what I need to buy when food shopping and is much easier to follow on my phone than by a book - not something I'd usually say for me but it just works!

Peak - I downloaded this trying to help my baby brain get a test and try and improve it back to it's pre-baby state. I love that you can set a goal and reminder of when you would like to test yourself and I try and do it every day, even if sometimes I don't get the time.

Lifesum - This app is really handy for Mommies trying to either lose their pregnancy weight or just watch what they're eating. Honestly this is just a dieting and healthy eating app, not just for Moms but for anyone. I used this before I was pregnant too and it really helps me stay on track on what I'm ok to eat. I love the fact is also takes into account any physical exercise you've been doing so you know roughly what you've burnt off.

The Wonder Weeks - This app is focused on your baby's development. For me, I just find it super comforting and interesting when I know what my baby is going through but also going to get out of each leap. Each leap your baby will learn new skills but it comes at a price - a fuss, hard to please, crazy, nightmare child some of the time - but they're learning and growing... so at the end of it they should or are close to getting a new skill - it's fascinating!

Rhymes - I love having this to hand to play to my Son and sing along to. I don't remember all nursery rhymes so this one is great to help me learn the words again and get us both used to it. Our little one loves it and presses the screen to see what moves and sings - oh did I mention it's free too?!

Well those are my top 'Mom' apps that I've been using. Do you guys have any apps that you would suggest I give a go?